A New Moon Means a Darker Night with a Dawn
by ShannonMay
Summary: What if Bella had given her heat to and made plans with someone else before Edward? Then she moves to Forks and meets the Cullens. What would have then happened when Edward leaves in New Moon?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own either Twilight or the Covenant. They are the property of their respective creators. I am simply playing with them for fun. It is my take on what might have happened during N.M. and afterward if maybe Bella had given her heart to and made plans with someone else before Edward.

[A/n: This story will go back and forth from the past to the present. Flashbacks will be in Italics.]

Isabella Swan was fast asleep in her bedroom in the sleepy, little town of Forks, Washington. She had enjoyed a wonderful 18th birthday celebration with the Cullen family. The problem only came later when as usual Edward seemed to make more of an incident that occurred than she did. She knew and understood the risks and chooses to be a part of their lives willing. This was something Edward still could not seem to accept. Then again there were a number of things about her that he could not seem to accept.

Another thing that he could not seem to accept about her was that she would not rely on him to take care of her and pay for things all of the time. It had really driven him off of the walls when she had refused to let him get her a new car as a birthday gift. It hadn't helped his case any that he insisted that it would not be just any car rather it had to be a brand new Audi. That was a little over the top in Bella's point of view.

There were other things too like his eye rolling at the fact that she had gotten a job at Newton's. He would insist that he was capable to taking care of everything. In fact if it wouldn't give away too much he would offer that Charlie could retire early and pay off the house. Over the last few weeks these things had begun to bother her more than they once did. Then tonight the incident with Jasper had occurred. After that Edward had been stiff and remote. The only kiss he gave her after that was as he was trying to drop her off. She thought about all of this as she lay in bed.

Edward lay still on the bed beside his beloved Bella. Tonight he could afford no mistakes. Edward Cullen was on alert and was slowly building his resolve for what he must do. Tonight had shown him just how foolish he had been to bring Bella into his world. He also knew that Bella was far different from what a lady was supposed to be back in his time. It was hard for him to handle her stubbornness and independence as much as it drew him to her. Then tonight at the party when her very life had been endangered it had shown him wrong. Endangered not by some normal human accident, Victoria or any number of enemies, but his family he had realized that he had to let her go.

Once he could hear the sleep talking he would know he was safe to begin work on his plan. He would place the necessary things in plain sight for Bella to see once she had left for school. The necessary things were several items that she had mentioned in her sleep that he had never found in his visits to her room. He hoped that these items might help her move on with her life and refocus once he and his family were gone.

Edward shuttered at the memory of what one of the items was_ "No you can't take that away from me. Please, you can take my lunch money but not my necklace. It is our hearts. It's a promise and it was given to me by my friend. I have to keep my half of the necklace." _Edward had seen such necklaces before and knew that to Bella such a thing would have great meaning if she had accepted such a necklace_." _The other item was a letter. _"I can't find Tyler's letter Mom where is his letter?" _He knew it was not the same Tyler that attended Forks High School and she mumbled this in her sleep more often than he liked. He'd never voiced complain about this since he did not know the circumstance nor who this guy was. He'd contented himself with the fact that she loved him and had chosen to be with him. He knew from his own interrogation of Bella and the thoughts of others that Bella had never had a boyfriend before. So, he did not know what to make of it. That was until tonight happened. He could not content himself with that knowledge and place her at risk. That is not when he knew that there might be someone else who could make her happier.

Edward, shivered as some of the things that she had said in their fights came back to him.

_One day they had been standing in the kitchen while Bella prepared to go to work at Newton's and gotten into it again over her insistence that she work. "Bella you don't have to work. That is an excuse. I love you and I want to take care of you. You don't need to worry about money. Charlie and Renee don't need to worry about money even if they'd want to accept my help."_

_At that Bella had grabbed her keys and left the room yelling, "You really don't get it. I don't want to be dependent on you. I don't want to be dependent on anyone. I won't be kept like your mistress. I want to be an equal. I want to see and do things. Most men would be happy that I don't want to content myself with spending their money." _

Another occasion had occurred when he had offered to do the homework so that they could finish up quicker and go for a run before the evening was out_. They had been sitting on her bed with her French book in front of her. As soon the offer to finish the homework for her left his lips. Bella grabbed her book and moved._

_"The plan has always been for me to work hard and get a scholarship to Harvard and join Tyler there. I want to do well on my own. I want to get a scholarship and have that sense of achievement when I go on to college. I want to be able to actually handle to coursework that I choose to take and have no guilt."_

That had been the first time that he suspected that there had ever been someone else. He knew that he had to leave and how to go about it. This planned and ready to be acted on Edward left at dawn and would not return until he knew Bella had left for school.

Bella Swan woke up to her alarm at 6 o'clock in the morning. She swiftly saw that Edward had left most likely to change and get himself and his siblings to school. Bella got herself ready and got into her ancient Chevy. The day passed by slowly with no sign of either Edward of his siblings at school. This confused Bella and she was relieved when finally the last bell of the day rang.

Upon arriving at Charlie's Bella saw Edward was waiting for her. As soon as she approached he asked, "Go for a walk with me?" Bella followed unsure of what else to do. She knew what was coming even if she did not want to admit it to herself. "We're leaving Bella." All that Bella could do and in the face of such a matter of fact statement was nod. At this he continued, "You can't come with us. You're under age and honestly I don't want you too. You were a wonderful distraction for a while. Now you need to go on and live your life as you obviously want too." Bella collapsed and started to cry. She could not even begin to form a response and then he was gone. She tried for a while to follow him but knowing that it was futile she turned and headed back to Charlie's house.

Once Bella had made it to the house she slowly made her way in a daze and mess of tears up to her room. She went to lie down on her bed and heard the crinkling of paper as she went to lay down her head. It was a letter that had been left on her pillow. Looking at it closely she could not believe her eyes.

The letter read:

Bella,

I cannot tell you what it means to me to have met someone like you. You actually have dreams and goals and are willing to work hard for them. The sorts of times you made in the tournament last week are the sort of thing that most people on the teams here strive for. This is true of both boys and girls. I know that you do not want to leave your mother and feel that she needs you to take care of her. For that reason you don't want to join me here and you would want to pay your own way if you did. I can respect that more that I can even attempt to convey here.

I hope that you will agree to meet me again in the future and perhaps then we can try and build a relationship. Would you be willing to join me at Harvard when we get to college if you can get scholarships to go there?

Yours Faithfully,

Tyler

Bella had not seen that letter in quite a while after her obsession with Edward Cullen had begun last year she had not given it too much thought. She knew that she had made at least one dig knowingly considering this letter. That aside she had fully invested herself in her relationship with Edward once it had begun. However, she quickly began to see how futile it might be. She owed it to him though to give him something of herself and to keep his secret. After all he had saved her life on more than one occasion. However, Edward unlike Tyler did not appreciate or respect the fact that she wanted to earn her own way and be able to stand on her own feet as an equal. Her eyes began to let tears go again as she thought back her first time meeting Tyler back in Phoenix.

_There was a meet going on at the University pool. This was the last meet of the year. It was for a national competition and Bella could not have been more excited. Unlike ballet she loved to swim. She was not graceful on the land and on stage but she was very much so in the water. It was almost like she was part fish. Bella had won the girls competition for her stroke. As she came up out of the pool she was met by a boy with curly brown hair and blue eyes that had swam and won earlier in the day. "Congratulations, I'm Tyler Simms and you are?" She had smiled at being not only congratulated but by a cute boy. "I'm Bella."_ She smiled as she also remembered the look on the face of the girl from Salem who had swam in her heat. Bella had won by at least a length. _She and Tyler had hung out for the rest of the meet and he had left her that letter on her locker before his club left. Attached to the letter had been a necklace with a heart on it and it had been broken in half. On it was inscribed, "God keep watch between you and me while we are apart. May he protect you and keep you until you can come back to me." _

Suddenly, Bella was very aware of what she been like these past few months. She must have appeared to have lost her senses. She could only be glad that she had insisted on keeping her grades up and had never taken anything from Edward. She was also suddenly glad that for all of Edwards's steel like boundaries nothing had happened. Those may be the reason that the promise was not broken. Up until her Edward Cullen obsession she had been writing back and forth with Tyler and had never questioned how he had found out her address. Now, with some humility Bella prepared herself to write once more.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own either Twilight or the Covenant. They are the property of their respective creators. I am simply playing with them for fun. It is my take on what might have happened during N.M. and afterward if maybe Bella had given her heart to and made plans with someone else before Edward.

[A/n: This story will go back and forth from the past to the present. Flashbacks will be in Italics.]

Sitting cross legged on her bed Bella pulled out a pencil and notebook and began to write her first letter to Tyler in slightly over six months. Her stomach was nauseous and her heart ached as she began to write. The bitterness and the reality of what had happened of what she had done consumed her.

Tyler,

I know that it has been a while since my last letter. Okay, so it has been more than a while. There is no excuse or reason good enough for that. Nor is there any reason or excuse good enough for what has happened. My mom remarried a while back. I miss her and her new husband more than I can say. She is fine though of that I am sure. She has Phil and so she no longer has need of me. So I came here to spend sometime with my dad and I thought that would be good. It turned out to be a drastic mistake.

Once I got here my world seemed to turn upside down on its head. I had never lived in a small town before. It was like living under a microscope those first few days. Even more excruciating was the attention of the boys here. It was like I was some shiny new toy in the store window. It still is that way to an extent though it died down finally. The reason that it died down though was not a good thing at all.

The reason was Edward Cullen. He saved me from getting hit by a van on icy day and after that things get really weird. It was like he loved me and he hated me all at the same time. Then he finally decided that he wanted to be my boyfriend. Talk about the most possessive, jealous, arrogant man on the planet. After that we kind of became a thing. Guys kind of backed off because we were like a couple.

The funny thing is that he was in love with me but he didn't get me. He was so incredibly old-fashioned in his view of things. As you can probably imagine we fought a lot. Usually the fights were over me being able to take care of myself. I had a perfectly good truck that ran and he tried to insist on me getting a new car. He even went so far as to say that his family would pay for it. I decided to get a part-time job after school to have my own spending money and save towards college. He said that his folks had enough in the college account that they had offered to pay for me as well. Finally, he told me that they were leaving and so I am probably never going to see him again. The funny thing is that in most ways I couldn't be more grateful. Especially since, his constant brooding and possessive presence once kept me from doing what I ought to have been doing.

I truly am sorry that I have not written more often.

I don't know if I can even have the right to sign off as your,

Bella

With that letter written to the best of her ability she turned out her light and attempted to go to sleep. Charlie was working all night thanks to a recent set of break-ins so there would be no need to cook dinner tonight thankfully. As she laid down again she quickly began tossing and turning, unable to get comfortable. This would not be an easy night for Bella as she was constantly accosted by dreams and nightmares. In some Tyler forgave her and accepted her with gentility and kindness. In yet others she learned that he despised her for not being more true to her promise and him. In still others she learned that after some time had passed he had found some one else. It really bothered her that there were so many ways that this could play out. Now that she had written the letter one of the only things that she could do is mail it and wait to see what reaction she receives.

The next day Bella woke up with her alarm and got ready for school. It would be an interesting day and she prepared herself for a new battle with her attention issues. She knew that it was something that she would need to get over eventually. It just did not help that she lived with Charlie. Charlie was where her issues came from. He was just as quiet and reclusive in a number of ways as she was. He did not like parties and large gatherings where eyes seemed to be on you constantly. It didn't help when your parents separate when you're not even a year old either. Bella had spent years thinking that the whole thing was her fault. Once she was old enough and learned that there were actual reasons why it had happened. It didn't make a whole lot of difference.

As Bella entered the parking lot of Forks High School she immediately began to realize that word must be completely out that the Cullen's were gone. There stood Mike with a huge grin on his face. The first thing that came out of his mouth as she stepped out of her truck was, "So Bella, back from the living dead? Would you like to go to a movie Saturday?" It both made her glad to know that the few friends that she had made here might accept her back and uncomfortable to have Mike hit on her right away. Not wishing to be rude, Bella replied," Sure we could get a group together and make it like a movie night." Mike's smile fell from his face but he nodded in agreement. The rest of the day kind of followed along the same lines.

Once Bella got home she checked the mail box stupidly hoping that she might already see a letter from Tyler. She had to laugh at herself after all she had only mailed the letter off this morning before she left for school. She did find several letters though from different colleges. One was from Stanford and the other was from Arizona State. Putting those aside she took note of the bills that had come in to be paid. This was something that she always did even now after nearly a year away from her mom. Charlie was decent about paying the bills and things so that no longer was her responsibility. He did occasionally ask her to pick stuff up at the grocery store but that was it. He wasn't flakey as Renee often was.

Ipswitch, Massachusetts

One week later

Tyler Simms walked back to his dorm more than a little worn out from swimming laps in the pool. He had pushed himself extra hard today in order to work out his anger and aggression. He received a letter from Bella last night, the first in many months. Every word covered in guilt, shame and garbage. She bothers to write finally only to give a confession! The thought only made him even angrier. The whole situation made Tyler feel so unlike himself. This was the sort of reaction Reid or Pogue might have but never him. He had never felt this angry nor felt the need to use and cause actual pain or damage. There was something else there and he couldn't quite identify it. That was another thing that he did not like at all. Tyler Simms was known for being the reasonable, laid back son, the one who could be trusted to keep a cool head and think logically. For once Tyler did not feel like he could. He needed to talk to someone but could not think of anyone. He let out a sigh and went to get started on his homework thinking that maybe it would help to get his mind off of the whole Bella situation for a while.

Tyler was still trying to focus on getting his homework done several hours later when Reid walked in. Finally, Tyler gave in to the need to talk and decided that Reid would do as well as anyone else. So he spilled out how he was feeling and showed Reid the letter from Bella. It was the best option that he had under the circumstances.

His friend for once had appeared to be serious and listening to what he had to say and for that Tyler could not be more grateful. As Reid read the letter Tyler took the chance to lie down and try and release the tension. Once that was done he actually began to feel tears fall down his face. Even if he tried to stop them he knew that it was futile.

When Reid finished reading the letter he looked over at his brother and best friend and had to admit that he was not sure of how to help. Finally speaking he said, "I can't help tell you how you're supposed to respond to this. It's hard to hear I can understand that. The thing is that you know this girl. Whatever happened there I think maybe you should talk to her. You owe it to yourself to make sure that you have all of the facts and information straight before you react." Tyler blinked and looked over at his brother for once Reid was making sense and his advice was sound.

Tyler walked over to his computer and logged into his email account. Hoping against hope that Bella still had the same email address he began to work on his message to her.

Bella,

I want to actually talk this out with you. To do that effectively I think that we need to meet in person once more. I am open to any suggestion that you might make on a location. Please respond soon this conversation cannot wait.

Tyler


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own either Twilight or the Covenant. They are the property of their respective creators. I am simply playing with them for fun. It is my take on what might have happened during N.M. and afterward if maybe Bella had given her heart to and made plans with someone else before Edward.

[A/n: This story will go back and forth from the past to the present. Flashbacks will be in Italics.]

Tyler Simms felt better having at least taken some type of action regarding the situation with Bella. It helped him to feel like maybe he could take logical steps and not go completely insane at least. He would not take any further action until he had all of the facts after all this was Bella. If at all possible he wanted to be able to salvage the relationship that they had spent years building through letters and emails, the occasional phone conversation.

As Tyler got ready to go to sleep once more his mind drifted back to the things that had built their relationship. _Tyler Simms had just woken up on his 13th birthday to the sound of the phone ringing. Who would be calling at 7 in the morning, he had grumbled. Then he had been surprised when his mom called up the stairs, "Tyler it's for you."_ _He had picked up on the extension in his room and was surprised to hear a female voice say, "Happy Birthday, you are officially a teenager." He had chuckled when he finally placed the voice. He couldn't have been more floored. He knew that it was several hours earlier where Bella lived in Arizona. "I'm not officially a teenager until 11:12 tonight. Thank you though." He had never been more nervous in his life. The weird thing is that she seemed to note that in his voice because her next words had been, "Are you alright, you sound nervous?" He had taken a deep breath and right then decided to tell her the truth. If she rejected him, then she rejected him. She needed to know what she was getting into if they did in fact continue on the course of their relationship. "Tonight I'm getting a birthday present that I don't necessarily want. I'm not sure if it will be painful or what it will be like. I don't have a choice in it though. You see my family is one of the towns founding families. Years ago our families left Europe to come to the New World. They settled the Ipswitch Colony here. Eventually witch hunt fever came here too. They hung one of the patriarchs and burned the other 4. Each of them left behind a child. Since then the bloodlines produce only one heir, a son. When the child turns 13 at the moment of their birth they receive their powers. Unfortunately, they were correct their belief about what the families were."_

_Bella had been quiet for a while after that. It had made him nervous. Then when she finally spoke he could tell that she had actually processed everything that he was telling her. "You wouldn't use it to hurt people though, right?" That had been her sole qualm about learning what he was. She wanted to hear from him that he would never use his power the wrong way._

_Tyler remembered letting out a sigh of relief. "No Bella, I would not ever use it to torture or hurt people. If someone was trying to hurt us then yeah, I'd fight but that makes me no different than any other man, right?" With that they had their relationship on solid ground and she knew the truth about him and his family._

_Bella had giggled, "Right, I think I can live with that."_ _She'd even stayed up to call again later that night and make sure that he was alright after it had all happened. _That had been just one such thing that built their relationship, one that he had thought of as close and secure until last spring. _Bella had never missed a birthday call. She wrote regularly until April this last year. Her letters and emails were typically full of stories about swim meets in the South West. She had even been to one of the national meets but the girls and boys tournaments had been scheduled at different states that year. She spoke often of school and what she had hoped to study in college. She also made a point of telling him about books that she was reading and made recommendations to him frequently and vice versa. That was how things had always been for them._

Forks, Washington

That night

Bella came into her room ready for bed and exhausted after the day she'd endured at school. First, her alarm clock had gone off late again. Then she had endured more amorous advances from Mike Newton. Finally, Bella had ended up working by herself on a complicated lab project in Science. Thankfully, the homework load was light this evening. That always meant that she had sped right through it. After that Bella made a simple dinner for Charlie and sat down with him until he went in to watch the game and she did dishes.

Bella sat down in front of her computer to check for her usual email from Renee. While doing this she was surprised to that she did not have an email from Renee but she did have one from Tyler. Reading through the email she was surprised but not overly so by his message. This was in fact very much like him. She let out a breath that she did not even realize that she was holding. Bella looked at her calendar and realized that Thanksgiving break was coming up in just a month. That would work out best if she wanted to situate things for a longer trip. She could use her ticket to Florida and spend the time with Renee. She could meet up with Tyler at some point while she was down there in Jacksonville. It would be a closer trip for him and most easily arranged for her. If he really wanted to talk sooner than that face to face he would have to come out here or at least to Seattle. That settled in her mind she began to prepare her message back to Tyler.

Tyler,

I was glad to find your email tonight when I checked after dinner. I agree that we do need to meet up and talk face to face. I can go to Jacksonville, Florida where Renee now lives for Thanksgiving and meet you there. There are two other options: (1) we could meet up any weekend at the Barnes and Nobles in Seattle or (2) you could visit me in Forks. Let me know what option you would prefer.

Please respond soon.

Bella

Bella Swan sent her email off to Tyler and then went get ready for bed. Now that she knew that Tyler was willing to talk things out with her she was felling a lot better. She went to bed that night with butterflies in her stomach and for once since she went to sleep she fell into a peaceful sleep. This time there was not a vampire there to keep her up. There were no thoughts of vampires chasing her through the woods or any such thing. The only thoughts in Bella's mind would have made Jessica or any other girl proud. Her thoughts were on what she should do to make sure that she was presentable when she went to meet Tyler.

When Bella woke up the following day she already had an email in her inbox. It took her a moment to shake her head awake when she realized this. Deciding that being fully awake to respond to the message was a MUST she went downstairs to get coffee (one of the only two things Charlie cooks and well). Then she proceeded to get ready for the day showering and dressing in dark blue jeans and a baby blue tee. As she started brushing her hair, Bella began to read the email from Tyler.

Bella,

I would rather meet sooner than later. I trust that you feel the same way. Since the soonest possibility for you leaving is in November that is not the best option. I will come out to Forks in a couple of day's time. Thankfully, we do not have a meet this week. I have Reid gathering my homework for me as we speak so that I can pack. Is your cell phone number still the same? I want to give you call as soon as I land to let you know that I am on my way.

Tyler

With her mind cleared up finally from the coffee and hot water Bella shot a quick message to Tyler.

Tyler,

I do still have the same cell phone number. Charlie's house is on the first turn off from the interstate once you leave Forks. I look forward to seeing you.

Bella

Bella felt like she was suffocating. She needed to start her getting ready plans and soon. The house had to be neat and she had to be presentable. _Bella was walked over to a section of seats where she and her mother were supposed to have dinner at the closing of the swim tournament with Tyler and his mother. Taking a seat and saving the one next to her for Renee 9 year old Bella felt quite grown up. The restaurant in the hotel was nice. It had fancy menus and napkin holders with the utensils rolled inside of the napkins and everything. Renee joined her shortly and then Tyler showed up with his mother. He introduced her saying, "Ms. Swan and Bella, this is Rose Simms, my mother." The woman he had introduced to them was exquisite. She had dark hair almost the color of onyx and blue eyes that were almost violet. Her skin was literally ivory colored. She was petite and slender with curves that gave an hour glass shape. They were obviously well off and it was obvious that his mom was used to having everything just so. _

_Bella had learned the art of reading people well. It had helped her avoid getting into the middle of a number of bad situations in Phoenix. Those instincts told her that if she and Tyler were to stay in each others lives there would be an expectation of how things would be done. As they had all talked she had also been pleased to find that Rose Simms was also a professional woman. She was a nurse at a hospital in Salem which gave some relief to Bella who already at nine knew that she wanted both a husband and a career._

Bella made a decision that she knew she might regret as soon and she dialed the numbers. "Hello, Jessica. It's Bella, would you be willing to have a girl's day and go with me to get my hair and nails done?" Bella had to plug her ears to keep her ear drums from rupturing. That was how loud the "Yes" was coming from the other end of the phone was.

That settled she would still need to get the house perfectly cleaned up. Bella looked out to see if Charlie was still home. Thankfully the cruiser was gone. That meant that he'd gone to Harry Clearwater's to watch the game. While Jessica was making their appointments Bella got to work on cleaning the house. She asked Jessica specifically for two hours which meant that she really had ninety minutes to get things into shape. With speed that she wasn't even sure if vampires possessed she began to work on the kitchen. She put everything away in their holders and cupboards and wiped down the counters and cupboard doors. She cleaned the sink and then swept and mopped the floor. She cleaned the bathroom and picked up the floors. That done she still needed to do laundry, dust and vacuum when Jessica rang the door bell.

Return


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own either Twilight or the Covenant. They are the property of their respective creators. I am simply playing with them for fun. It is my take on what might have happened during N.M. and afterward if maybe Bella had given her heart to and made plans with someone else before Edward.

[A/n: This story will go back and forth from the past to the present. Flashbacks will be in Italics. Also thank you, to all of you readers and reviewers. I greatly appreciate each and every single of your comments.]

Bella opened the door and grabbed her purse and within 10 minutes they were on the freeway heading towards Port Angeles. Thankful that they had taken Jessica's Toyota instead of her truck, Bella relaxed into her seat and let Jessica flip through radio stations in an attempt to find something decent to listen too. Frustrated with the lack of selection in stations that came through Jessica finally turned the radio off. That done she then proceeded to chatter about the latest town gossip. Apparently Lauren had a new boy toy which came as very little surprise to Bella. Lauren showed little discretion when it came to who she dated and local rumor had it that such practices applied else where too. Bella slowly began to drift off to sleep to the sound of Jessica's inane chatter and slept most of the way to Port Angeles.

Bella only finally woke up when Jessica had to slam on her breaks as they started to enter the town limits. They entered Sassy Salon and Nails and gave their names and took seats to wait for the stylists assigned to each of them. As they sat waiting Jessica finally asked her, "Not that I'm not all about having fun and doing this sort of stuff, but I am curious. Why did you call and ask to do this?"

Bella weighed her response carefully and deciding that in this case the truth was a better option than any story that she could convey. "You know that the Cullen's left and so I'm sort of single again." Bella was not given to long explanations and hoped that further comment would be unnecessary.

Jessica frowned and mumbled "Yeah, I'm very aware of that fact. Mike dumped me again because of it." Jessica and Mike were an on again and off again couple and their fights were usually stupid and beyond small. However, they always seemed to lead to a break up followed by begging by Mike until they made up. Mike had dumped Jessica once before when Bella had first moved to Forks so that he could pursue her.

Bella chose to ignore that and continued, "Well, before I dated Edward I was not exactly dating, but I was involved with someone else. He is coming into town and wants to see me. So, I want to look nice." Jessica nodded, "That makes sense." Just then Kim and Susan (who everyone calls Sassy) came out and called the two girls back into the main Salon.

Sassy asked Bella, "What do you want done today?" The talkative redhead with vibrant green eyes loved getting to play with people's hair and always did very drastic but beautiful cuts. The style here was modern and Bell hoped that she would walk out looking like she belonged in Tyler's world and more importantly his life.

Bella smiled, "I leave that in your hands I want to look clean and contemporary?" Sassy nodded and got right to work. The first thing that she did was wash and condition Bella's hair. Next, she began to work on cutting the long locks of Bella's hair. She took it up to just above her shoulders and added some layers to it. Moving around to the front Sassy gave Bella some bold fringe bangs. Then Sassy told her, "I'd like to play with some highlights. You've got some beautiful natural red highlights but they don't come through very well." Bella nodded and let her go to work.

When Sassy was finished Bella was stunned. She could hardly recognize the girl that Alice had tried desperately to get to do this not even a full month ago. The mere thought almost had her in tears. Where as she had not exactly been in love with Edward; Alice had been a great friend and she would miss her. She would also miss Emmett and his boisterous laughter and playful attitude. She would miss Dr. Cullen and Esme too. They had all been very nice to her well, except for Rosalie.

Next, Bella and Jessica went into a pair of pedicure stations and had mani-pedis done. Giggling through out as their feet were scrubbed, filed and massaged. Bella picked out a bold orange-red color for her toes while Jessica went with a brilliant blue. Both girls opted for simple opaque colors for their fingernails.

On the way home Jessica and Bella rode most of the way home in relaxed and companionable silence. Once they had turned into the driveway to Charlie's Jessica put the car into park and took a deep breath. "Bella, I know that I haven't been that nice to you lately. I want you to know though I really am your friend. You look great and whoever this guy is he'd better realize just how lucky he really is to have you."

Bella smiled, "Thanks, Jessica." With that Bella got out of the car and went inside to get dinner ready for when Charlie pulled in. It would be a long night where she would need to finish a lot of things to get ready for Tyler's visit.

Bella was still in the middle of making enchiladas when Charlie came in and hung up his coat and gun belt. Turning he noticed Bella over at the oven, "What is with the new look Bells?" It was not like Charlie to comment on things like a new outfit or a hair style change. However, something drastic like what she had done today especially since she rarely did the girly thing he would. Now she would need to explain herself. This was not something she had thought about.

Sighing Bella knew that Charlie would not be too excited when she explained why so she opted for the more subtle and suitable answer for her father. "I had a girl's day with Jessica and I let her talk me into trying something different."

Charlie smiled, "That's good, I guess, I'm just glad that you're not sitting around here mopping like a lot of girls would." Bella nodded and went back to working on their dinner. From there on out it was like any other night since she had moved to Forks. They had dinner and then Charlie went to watch whatever game was on while she did dishes. She proceeded to do a couple of loads of laundry however before she went to bed.

The following day Bella found it hard to focus on school work. Tyler's flight would get in at 1:00 if it was on time and that meant that he would be at Charlie's around 4 after he checked in at a hotel in Port Angeles. At lunch Bella could hardly eat and she found herself staring off into space in the direction of the table that the Cullen's used to occupy. When she finally came too she found Angela waving her hands in her face, "Earth to Bella, Come in Bella." A little shocked Bella looked around her and found that the cafeteria had basically cleared out.

"What happened?" It worried her that so much time had passed without her noticing. It was not like her to just completely zone out. Then again she thought maybe it was just the nerves. After all she had every reason to be nervous tonight was going to be majorly important to her and her future.

It was Ben who responded for both he and Angela, "You space out, it's already time for Chemistry." That brought Bella to the reality around her. She got up from her seat and grabbed her bag. Bella nodded and proceeded with her friends to the Chemistry lab where they would work again on qualitative analysis.

Seattle, Washington

That same day

Tyler Simms got off of his flight from Salem to Seattle at Sea-Tac International feeling more than a little tired. He proceeded to go and grab his one piece of luggage that he had checked upon getting on to his flight. That done he went to the rental car desk and picked up the keys to the Audi that he had reserved along with his plane ticket. He fiddles with the stations on the radio until he landed on a station that played classic rock music. That taken care of he proceed to leave the lot and get onto the freeway. Tyler hoped that he could stay awake for the drive.

Thankfully, the drive to Port Angeles proves to be smoother and quicker than he thought. Then again, Tyler did not exactly care too much about speed limits. He quickly found his way to one of the nicer hotels that he had been able to find in Port Angeles, a Ramada Inn and Suits. He checked in and went to get ready and change before he headed to meet Bella in Forks. Tyler was not so naive as to believe that this would be the most pleasant of trips, but he hoped that it would not be completely miserable either. If things went well he just might be able to salvage his relationship with the woman who had second to his mother meant the most to him. It was hard for a woman to find a place in the hearts of the sons. Each of them had a place in their hearts for their mothers out of love and respect. If another lady was lucky enough to find their way there it would be the woman they chose for a wife.

Tyler made swift work of showering and taming his curly dark brown hair. He dressed in dark blue fitted jeans and a fitted grey button down shirt with a blue v-neck sweater over it. He shaved his face and sprayed D&G, Light Blue cologne using some as aftershave. Putting on some nice suede, driving shoes in grey he made his way towards his car and Bella.

Meanwhile, the bell finally rang, signaling the end classes for the day. Bella made her way to her truck as quickly as she could and made her way to Charlie's. Once there Bella showered and changed into one of the skirts that Alice had foisted on her during one of her many shopping trips. To top it off she picked a plumb colored blouse. She sprayed on some simple vanilla scented perfume and running a brush through her hair as she ran downstairs. She put on a pot of coffee and pulled down two mugs from Charlie's cupboard and decided that she would order pizza for dinner tonight. That would allow her to keep things as simple as possible.

Everything was in place and ready thankfully by the time that Tyler arrived and knocked on the door. As Bella opened the door she almost literally had to pick her jaw up off of the floor. They talked and written for years after the tournament where they met. Pictures however hardly do justices to a person especially school pictures. Bella was left both speechless and breathless. Her mind screamed at her that she had been stupid to not keep up the fight and deny Edward as well.

As Tyler stepped through the door he came face to face with Bella for the first time in years. In years past they had exchanged school pictures and such with their letters and so he had held some idea of what she might look like. He had watched as she went through her awkwardness as a teenage and yet he had seen potential there even then. After all this was the girl who not only understood him, but knew what he was and accepted him. None of that had prepared him though for what he came face to face with though this day.

What he saw in front of him was a woman who could give any of the debutants at Spencer a run for their money. The funny thing about it though is unless the last year had drastically changed the girl he knew she was the farthest thing from. From what he could see and assess the girls there were mostly social climbers and gold diggers. There was no one who remotely drew his attention the way Bella had.

_We'll now proceed with the girl's 400 meter breast stroke. Bella had taken her mark along with the others including a couple from Tyler's own club. As he had watched the girls get ready Tyler had noticed the girl with long brown locks as she tucked them under her cap. Then he saw her as the race started. She was graceful and had a very fluent form that served well in the water. She easily gained half a lengths lead and by the time the race was won she was a full length ahead. The woman sitting next to them was the mother of his club mate Kayla Barnes who had swam in the race. He heard her grumbling about how a poor girl from Arizona could not possibly have beat her daughter. Deciding that he wanted to meet her Tyler had wandered down to congratulate her. After that they had just kept talking._

_As they had gotten to know each other he had come to realize just how right he had been to take a chance to meet her. They had spent the rest of the meet talking and watching the races. Conversation was easy and flowing and they found that they had a lot in common. All too soon it was time for the end of tournament dinner and he asked, "Will you and your mother sit with us for the awards dinner?" _

Coming back to the present Tyler hoped that nothing had happened to change the girl that she had been. He had long ago decided that he would not get involved with social climbers and gold diggers. He considered Caleb and Pogue lucky to have found anyone who was not like that. Indeed Sarah and Kate were rare and very different from the rest of the Spencer Academy crowd. He respected and liked his two sisters-in-law alright but they didn't quite suit the type that Tyler needed. They were however perfect for his brothers.

Looking again at Bella he could see why the boys would be paying attention to her. Tyler did not necessarily like it but he could understand it. The problem though would be trying to get Bella to understand it. He knew well enough what her assessment of herself had always been. In exchange Tyler had always done what he could to assure her of her worth, goodness knows that her parents didn't help with that.

Bella finally regained her senses and offered for him to take a seat and went and got two cups of coffee with just a little bit of cream and sugar. She was so nervous now that he was here that her hands were literally shaking as she poured. Still with hands shaking she made her way back bringing their coffee into the living room.

Right before she went to hand Tyler his cup her hands actual dropped the coffee she was shaking so hard. Thankfully, she was near enough that Tyler was able to reach out and catch one of them. The other they weren't so lucky with. The cup fell to the floor and the coffee spilt. So Bella went to gather up supplies to clean the mess up. Mentally she was kicking herself for making such a mess the whole way to the cleaning cupboard.

It was then when Tyler realized just how nervous Bella was about all of this. He'd known that she must be feeling somewhat nervous about all this after all the reason that they were meeting was serious. However, for her to be so nervous that she literally had her hands shaking and couldn't even hold on to a cup of coffee was not what he had wanted.

When Bella came back Tyler gently took the cleaning supplies from her and cleaned up the mess. Finally, having mopped up the coffee he took the mug which thankfully was not broken and refilled Bella's cup. Coming back in to the room he said, "Bella, I don't want you to be so nervous. It's just me that you're talking to. I know that the reason that I'm here is serious but you don't need to be so worried. I just want to understand what happened. I got your letter and it read like a confession and it just radiated all sorts of negative emotion. I just want to understand, why I lost you?"


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own either Twilight or the Covenant. They are the property of their respective creators. I am simply playing with them for fun. It is my take on what might have happened during N.M. and afterward if maybe Bella had given her heart to and made plans with someone else before Edward.

[A/n: This story will go back and forth from the past to the present. Flashbacks will be in Italics. Also thank you, to all of you readers and reviewers. I greatly appreciate each and every single of your comments.]

Bella's was shocked by what she had just heard. Tyler thought that he had lost her. He had taken that letter as her confessing to having gotten involved and fallen in love with another man. Bella sighed in relief now seeing that this would be a lot simpler to deal with than she had thought. She would be able to hopefully set the record straight and mend his broken heart and ego.

Bella began by slowly looking "Tyler, you didn't lose me. I did not want the advances of the boys here nor did I welcome them. I especially never welcomed his. I never knew what to make of him or expect. He was moody, possessive and arrogant. On top of that he was a complete chauvinist. In other words all wrong for me." With this her mind drifted to the details that she knew that she was holding back from Tyler. Details like the fact that Edward and his family were vegetarian vampires and the whole ordeal with James and his mate Victoria.

Tyler listened somewhat relieved by her reply but not all together convinced. He placed his ring finger and thumb underneath her chin raising it up to look him more directly in the eyes. "What are you not telling me, Bella? I can't help if I don't know what it is that is happening or did happen as the case might be."

Bella took a deep breath before saying, "Tyler what I am about to tell you is something that will sound crazy. It's something that very few people know. It has to with the Cullen's." Tyler nodded indicating for Bella to continue. They did not get a chance to continue their conversation though because it was then they heard the close of the door on Charlie's cruiser.

Charlie came in just then saying, "Hey Bells, whose your friend?" It was just like Charlie to be so casual off handed about such things. Then again Charlie did not too much like a father since he had been out of Bella's life for so long.

Bella smiled, "Hey Ch…I'm sorry Dad, this is Tyler Simms." That got raised eye brows and an appraising look from Charlie. It was a gesture that had become familiar to Bella over her time here and she knew that he was making sure that everything was alright. She smiled to reassure him.

Charlie remembered what Renee had told him years back about this boy. He had thought that they had just fallen out of touch or something, but apparently not. He would have to make more of an effort to get to know this one. Tyler had stuck it out writing and emailing with Bella for years. Apparently the relationship had even survived the whole thing with Cullen kid if he was here now. Charlie came back to the present asking, "So, what's for dinner?"

Bella smiled, "I figured that we'd just order pizza tonight. I hope that is alright." Charlie nodded going into put away his coat and gun, "That will be just fine Bells." So Bella made her way over to the phone to order pizza, a Hawaiian (Canadian bacon and pineapple) which she knew they would all enjoy.

During dinner that evening Charlie made a point of getting to know Tyler something that he's never bothered really doing with Edward. Tyler was more than a little surprised by this because it was so different from what he'd expected. He'd always gathered from Bella's letters that Charlie was sort of a missing in action parent. It was a pleasant different though. Charlie asked him questions like: "What colleges have you applied to?"

Tyler replied, "I have applications in at: Harvard, Yale, Columbia, Georgetown, BU and Stanford. I am pretty well assured of a place at Harvard though, my father Dr. Glen Simms is an alumni there" Charlie had nodded, that he understood what it meant since Tyler was a legacy.

The next question followed logically, "What do you think you'll study there." Charlie had wanted to know if the kid had ever put any real thought into what he wanted to do with his future. He had never known a young guy especially the ones with money to put much though to their futures.

Tyler gave a slight chuchkle, "It's okay I get that question from my folks all of the time too. I am debating between going Pre-law or Pre-med at the moment." This answer both surprised and pleased Charlie. It told him that Tyler was serious and had truly considered the kind of career that he wanted to have and how he would support a family. That would be especially important in his mind he wanted to marry Bella.

After dinner was done Charlie offered to do the dishes for a change and the two teens went in to the other room. They flicked through the channels hoping to find something decent on. When they found nothing worth watching they turned it off and turned to the simple topic of school.

Bella told Tyler about her classes and the boring simple mindedness of the students here. "Really, aside from Angela most of them seem to have one track minds and even she seems to go there every so often. At least she is capable of thinking about other things though. The other girls really grate my nerves sometimes. Jessica can be nice though."

Tyler had nodded listening to her describe the sort of people that she had been going to school with out here. Hearing her stories made him feel lucky to go to a place like Spencer where they were somewhat forced think critically and analytically. He could see and understand why it would bore Bella. Bella had been an advanced student in Phoenix but they didn't have any such program here. The result she had been put in with the general student population.

Once, they knew that Charlie had gone to bed Tyler turned the conversation back to the topic that had been interrupted by Charlie's arrival. Bella listened momentarily for Charlie's snores knowing that once he was there nothing could wake him up. Bella sighed; she had known that she would not get away from this topic of conversation going uncovered.

Bella took a deep breath and began, "The Cullen's are a very different lot. Everyone in town was scared of them. For some reason even though I probably should have been I was not. In fact, they intrigued me. I sort of ended up being brought in after Edward kept me from being hit by that van. After that things just got really weird." Bella paused then not really wanting to go into details.

However she was spared that by a loud crashing sound coming from the upstairs. Both teens listened for a split second more trying to determine what the source might be. Bell went to the downstairs closet where Charlie had a stock pile of pepper spray in ready supply. With Bella armed and Tyler's eyes turned black, as the entirety of the covenant membership did when they were ready to use they proceeded to the stair way. They made their way upstairs as quietly as they could. Bella was careful to skip the step that squeaked so as not to alert the intruder.

Reaching the top of the stairs they decided to check Bella's room first. There they found her room cleaned up even more than it had been. Then looking to the other side of the room she saw that her window was open. The teens went over and looked out of the window and sure enough there in the old tree across from her window was a pixie girl. The girl had dark brown almost black hair and amber eyes. Her pale skin looked like marble and she sat there in a black knee length dress and black heels. She wore a scarf on her head and had perfectly done make-up not that she would need it. Sitting in the tree was none other than Alice Cullen.

Bella sigh, "What is going on Alice? I thought you had left with the others." This was not supposed to happen. Now she would possible have more than a little explaining to do. She didn't let herself look back to where Tyler stood ready if anything went wrong.

Alice's musical voice came through, "I just came back to check on you. I had a vision and you were in it. Edward made me swear that I would not look into your future but it came through anyhow. When I got here I realized that I was interrupting something." Alice giggled at that like the school girl that she pretended to be."

Bella more than a little annoyed at the inference rolled her eyes. "We were downstairs talking and catching up. I don't think that is on either of our minds right now." Alice laughed, "Okay I get your point. For future reference you might want to get some oil put on that window again. It might come in handy if it is easier to open and doesn't squeak" Bella nodded in response. Then realizing her lapse in manners made the introductions. That small nicety done she registered Tyler's eyes narrowing at the other girl now.

He knew the thing that Bella was struggling to tell him. The Cullen's were vampires and this added a whole separate layer of trouble to what she had told him. Regaining his senses and ability to speak he found himself needing to ask the question that now seemed most pertinent, "How much danger did your "brother" put her in?"

Alice narrowed her eyes at Tyler appraisingly before becoming defensive, "No more than you do. At least he managed to protect her from the danger that he placed her in. I'm not so sure that you can. What I saw in the vision it was your fault." That statement sent Tyler's mind reeling. After all there was little that the sons were not capable of. For the most part their limitations were self-imposed. Calming himself and taking a deep breath, he prepared himself to ask the next most logical question. "What did you see?"

The three sat down on Bella's bed as Alice began to tell them what she had seen in her vision. "I saw a teenage boy just about 19 with hazel eyes and brown hair. He was probably 6 feet tall with a medium build. He was in some wooded area that was near the water. I know that because I could see the wood and I heard water. He is watching a group of young people at a party. Then as people started to leave he made his way down when it was just the two of you. I watched as his eyes turned black and then he snapped his fingers and tied Bella up and brought her to him. He said something about wanting you to will him your powers if you wanted her to live."

This news made Tyler really uneasy. This was confirmation of something that the covenant had feared but never known for sure. It was also the one possible danger that Tyler could not protect her from. Somehow the pixie had pegged his fear. Tyler frowned looking at the girl trying to decide if she was for real or if she was bluffing. There was a chance of that being the case after all this was Edward's sister the guy who had caused such a huge disruption in Bella's carefully ordered universe. Then again how would she have known about Chase! He nodded and then Alice waved and was out the window again and running though the woods.

Tyler turned to Bella his eyes completely earnest, "Is she for real? I can totally believe in vampire after all I'm from the family that I am from. However, what gets me is I want to know if she is a real psychic." It was something that he needed to hear before any other decisions were made.

Bella nodded indicating the affirmative. "She sees the course that someone is on right now. These can always be changed if the person makes a different decision and it put them on a different path."

Tyler nodded, "It makes sense. After all nothing is ever concrete about the future it is always in a fluctuating state. If there was people would call it the past. It is good have a heads up on that though. What she saw must have been Chase coming after me when I ascend. "

At this Bella raised an eye brow in question. Tyler took a deep breath and began to tell her the story of what had been Caleb's 18th birthday just a week prior at the opening of the harvest festival. Bella listened intently as he told her everything that he been able to gather from Caleb. As he told her this very real fear was radiating out of him. He looked down at the floor scared that this might change Bella's mind about things even if nothing else did.

Bella decided to make her self very clear, "Whatever happens you can't will him your powers. Someone like that doesn't need more power and I won't have you die because of me. If he does gain more power he will only crave more and become more dangerous to others around him." Tyler nodded knowing that she was right and knowing that he would honor her wishes. He also knew that he needed to do something to protect her. Noting the time he decided that he needed to get back to the hotel. "Bella, I'll talk to you again tomorrow, but I have to get back and get some sleep." Lifting her lips up to his thumb and ring finger beneath her chin he kissed her good night and left to go to the hotel.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own either Twilight or the Covenant. They are the property of their respective creators. I am simply playing with them for fun. It is my take on what might have happened during N.M. and afterward if maybe Bella had given her heart to and made plans with someone else before Edward.

[A/n: Thank you to all of my reviewers: Twilight Gleek, AdriaDeann and Jaspersdoll. You are all amazing. I really appreciate it.]

Tyler Simms was both relieved and anxious as he began to drive down the freeway towards Port Angeles. He was relieved to find that things were not what he had feared but anxious about the conversation he was going to have with his brothers soon. He knew that they would not take the news of Chase's survival very well. None of them ever wanted to have to see or hear from him again. However, it would seem that at least at this moment they were going to. He could also be assured that Caleb would ask a million questions about how he had found all of this out. That would mean having to admit that Bella knew their secret. It was the one thing that Tyler had ever kept to himself not even Reid knew that he had told Bella. Reid only knew that Tyler had met a girl and kept in touch with her over the years. Reid also knew just how much Tyler liked her. In his fear that Caleb would use on him in this one instance Tyler had kept his silence. To tone down the anxiety Tyler turned his thoughts to coming up with a special day to spend with Bella. He wanted this one date to be something that she would never forget.

As Tyler turned onto the Port Angeles exit he was yanked out of his thoughts by the sound of his phone ringing. Tyler knew that ring tone and that meant that his anxiety earlier had been felt by the others. He looked down at the screen of his phone and sure enough it was Reid. Knowing that it would not stop ringing until he picked it up, Tyler answered, "Hey Reid".

Reid Garwin had the world's worst timing under even the best of circumstances and tonight was no exception. It would also seem Alice Cullen would be a frequent irritation. "Judging from the large amount of anxiety that I sensed earlier I take it that your talk with Bella did not go so well." Ever the captain of stating the obvious Reid had jumped to the wrong conclusion.

Tyler laughed before responding, "Actually Reid, it was the exact opposite of that. It went pretty well. It turns out that I misunderstood her letter. She was not interested in this guy. However, I did get some not so good news that I will have to share with everyone later." Reid growled at this, "You know that I absolutely can not stand waiting. You'd best tell me now after all I'm covering for you with Caleb." Tyler let out a sigh and relayed to Reid everything that had occurred with regards to Alice Cullen's visit.

Before Tyler could finish filling Reid in on the whole situation he had arrived at his hotel. "Hey Reid I am completely drained can I call you tomorrow?" Tyler was dead on his feet already and he needed to have a clear mind for everything that was going to be happening and soon.

Yawning himself Reid said, "Yeah that is alright. You'd better make that call first thing in the morning though. I want to finish this conversation and hear all of the details on your talk with Bella." Reid knew tht it was unlikely that his friend would share such details but he couldn't help but make the comment.

Tyler laughed, "I will call but you won't hear anything about what happened with Bella. I'd like to keep my private life private" and with that he hung up his cell phone. As he got out of the car he found that he was completely worn out. Tyler made his way up to his room and allowed himself to lie down and go to sleep.

Meanwhile, Bella could not even begin to go to sleep. She was not happy that Alice had chosen to barge in on her time with Tyler. She hoped that it had not caused any trouble in this long path to reconciliation between them. Bella had enjoyed the friendship that she had with Alice that was not the problem. She just simply did not want anything to further complicate things between her and Tyler at the moment.

It was clear from their earlier conversation that Tyler had read her letter and it had triggered an emotion previously unseen in him, jealousy. Tyler thought that she had come to prefer someone else to him. That was not the case but she did not want him to ever get the wrong idea again. She knew all too well from Tyler what Pogue got like when Kate flirted with other guys and it was not pretty. She had promised herself a long time ago that she would not give Tyler a reason to act like that ever. Up until this last year Bella had done an excellent job of keeping that promise to herself. It was not all bad though. She had to admit that the fact that he had gotten jealous was cute to her. It pleased her to know that he valued her that much. Tyler had never been possessive like Edward was but it was clear that he valued her affection and wanted her loyalty and constancy.

As Bella began her nightly routine she found herself wondering what her life would be like if she and Tyler both got into Harvard. Would they get an apartment together or would they stay at his parent's estate? Would Tyler want to get married first? All sorts of thoughts and questions ran through her mind. They had planned and promised to go to college and be together however they had not worked out the specific details of their life together yet. Bella had frequently gotten the feeling that the details of it were not as important to Tyler as long as she was there. Perhaps Tyler wanted her to be out there with him before they had that conversation or maybe just maybe he assumed that knowing each other as they had over the years that she knew how it would work.

As she could not get to sleep she decided to pull out a box that she had with a few simple letters and small presents to look over them once more. She realized that the letters were placed in there in no particular order and so it would be no small task to place them in order. Sitting down on her bed she began the long and tedious process of doing that. Eventually the tedious task helped her to fall asleep clutching the necklace that she had received from Tyler all of those years ago. For once Bella was not tossing and turning in her sleep. Bella's dreams were sweet and simple all of them about starting a new life when she went to Harvard next year with Tyler. She dreamed of taking classes in art, literature and architecture and starting her own firm. She had to admit that in part she was inspired by Esme. Esme had successfully managed the sort of life that Bella wanted. Well, that is true aside from being a Vampire. Bella had thought that she would like to design homes for people and decorate them herself.

Bella woke up with a jolt when the smell of coffee reached her from downstairs the following morning. Looking at her clock Bella realized that it was 6 o'clock in the morning and decided that she would try and get a little more sleep before she needed to wake up. Unfortunately that was not meant to be. As soon as she had turned over she found herself waking up to the sound of her cell phone beeping. She had just received a new text message and since she was still awake she decided that she would go ahead and see what it said. She smiled when she saw that the message was from Tyler. It read: Morning Bella, I'm going to be over at your place around 9 to pick you up. You might want to plan on wearing something nice and comfortable for a long day. I'll see you then. Bella read the message again and then smiled and got up from bed so that she could get ready for the day.

Bella could not help but be grateful all of a sudden for Alice's stubborn insistence that she take the clothes that she bought for her. Bella swiftly made her way to the bathroom and showered. That done she dressed quickly in a blue button down top and soft cotton v-neck argyle sweater, with a pair of matching blue jeans by Sevens. She took the time to brush and straighten her hair and put on some light make up. Bella then decided to put the necklace on and pulled on grey pumas to finish off the outfit.

Tyler woke up quite early since at home it would already be 9 o'clock and he would be up in order to do homework. Deciding to get a start on the day he sat down to get some work done on the homework that Reid had picked up for him before he departed. He was thankful for the long plane ride which had allowed him to get some of it accomplished on his trip to Seattle. That left him free after just twenty minutes to focus on the plan he had for their day. He decided to send a text message to Bella and let her know what time he would be picking her up. He then proceeded to get ready for the day himself.

Tyler made quick work of showering and taming his hair. He then pulled on a red button down shirt and black jeans polishing it off with black sketchers and a black jacket. Last on the list for things to in order to get ready was go and get coffee while making the days reservations. Tyler found his way to Starbucks using the navigation system in the car and quickly got in line to place his order. Finally, he sat and placed reservations for their day out together before he had to return to Spencer Academy.

The first call that he made was too the Metropolitan Grill in Seattle where he made reservations for dinner that night. The next call that he made was to Reid who answered still in groggy overly tired voice. Tyler had to roll his eyes at this. His friend was next to impossible to get up out of bed during the weekends. "Reid, I need you to do me a favor and if you do then I will owe you for the rest of my life."

That apparently woke the blond son up quickly who responded, "What is it dude?" Not only did Tyler not call in favors often and so Reid would not have said no to begin with. Tthe fact that Tyler counted this one big enough that he would owe Reid had caught his attention.

Tyler's face broke into a grin. "I need you to go over to my place and get something out of my safe. You will know what it is once you see what is in there."

[A/n: I am sorry that I took so long in writing this chapter. It was harder to write than I thought that it would be. I am also sorry it is a little shorter. Question for you all: What do you think Tyler will be asking Reid to get for him from home?]


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: Sadly, I own nothing.

Tyler found that he was nervous as he began to drive towards the small town of Forks once more. He wanted to make sure that everything was perfect. This was his chance to actively court the woman he had given his heart too even as a boy. Tyler had called and made reservations at the Metropolitan Grill for dinner and planned on going through the Market district in Seattle with her and walking along the water until the time came for their reservation. In his mind if everything went according to plan it would be the perfect day. The only problem with his plan was that a large part of it hinged on Reid carrying out the mission that Tyler had sent him on.

There was one rather large complication involved there. The other sons were likely to get curious when they felt Reid use to send the precious object to Tyler all the way in Seattle. That was likely to raise questions that Reid couldn't answer without getting Tyler in trouble. The only other option would be for Reid to simply take the blame for the whole entire situation. Tyler knew that his request put his brother in a rather awkward predicament. Reid embraced his heritage and birthright just as much as Caleb rejected it. If the eldest questioned him and he would consequences were sure to follow for Reid. It was the only part about the plan that Tyler did not feel good about.

Once Tyler arrived at Charlie's house he found Bella already dressed and waiting for him on the porch. The sight in front of him made him smile more than anything had in a long time. There is indeed another catch to being born into the Covenant. That catch was being born to wealthy and successful parents. Furthermore, wealthy and successful parents have expectations of their children because they want them to be wealthy and successful.

This year being that the sons were about to graduate from Spencer Academy that meant going on to the Ivies. Their families left them legacies at the best schools in the country and it was not that Tyler was ungrateful. In fact he was far from it. He wanted to be successful for his own reasons. The only problem he had with the expectation was he was unsure about placing such an expectation on his beloved Bella. It was tough to get into Harvard where as Tyler was a legacy and would be expected to go. Would Bella be accepted to Harvard especially after moving to such small and mediocre school as she made it clear that Forks High School was?

As Bella got into the car Tyler wondered to himself how to best bring up some of the other topics that they needed to discuss. It had been a while since they had discussed college and what their plans were for afterwards. Was Bella even still okay with thier plans?

He also knew that Bella just moved out here to spend some time with Charlie which had been a rarity. Was it fair to ask her to move so far away from here in such a short time? When Bella had written that she would be moving up to Washington he knew that things might change. Tyler had looked into the University of Washington and knew that it was a good school with one of the better medical programs. That however was not an option where Tyler's father was concerned. Glen Simms had gone to Harvard for Premed and then had gone to Med. School at John's Hopkins. The expectation was that Tyler would do the same. It was going to be a rather intense conversation again and he was not a fan of conflict. If there was a way to avoid it he would.

Bella fiddled with the radio until she found Nickleback playing on a station that had some reception here. They made the drive to Seattle listening to music and talking about events that were coming up in the next few months. First would be Thanksgiving and Christmas and Bella planned to try and make a traditional dinner for her and Charlie. She even mentioned the possibility of inviting some family friends over to share the meal. By way of explanation Bella explained that Billy's wife had passed away some time ago.

Tyler nodded at this understanding since he and his parents often had Evelyn and Caleb join them for the holidays. Tyler spoke of his plans to give his mother's cook the day off and make the feast himself this year. He rarely spoke of it to anyone but cooking was something that he enjoyed and he hoped that Bella would enjoy this skill. He learned in hopes that he would be able to please her as a husband. He knew that she was frequently stuck doing all of the cooking, cleaning and grocery shopping. This was something that Tyler was determined to stop once they were together everyday. She shouldn't have to do all of the work in the household and it was his opinion that it was borderline abusive.

There were also the final events of the school year to consider. This meant Senior Ball and Graduation for both of them. Bella swallowed hard at the mention of the formal events. This got a slight chuckle from Tyler who tried to hide it with a cough. He knew that she did not like dancing much and feared that she would never manage to leave alive if she was to try. Tyler knew that he needed to calm Bella's fears before she freaked out too much. To this end he said, "Don't worry the only ones who would probably actually bother with dancing in our group would be Caleb and Sarah. Reid might try if he found a girl that he was actually interested in. At Spencer these events are more about being social and being seen. It would be an opportunity for you to get to know the guys and meet their girls than anything."

A smile returned to Bella's face and she nodded her head in understanding. There would be no getting out of this event for her. The others would want to meet her eventually and no doubt Dr. and Mrs. Simms would want to see her again and make sure that she was still suitable for their son. Bella told him, "Well, then we'll go to ball at your school and since our graduations are on different dates we can attend each others. That makes that part of things a lot easier."

Tyler smiled glad to know that she would be there to support him. What he neglected to mention was that it was not Caleb who had wound up as class valedictorian so far. If he kept his grades up it would be Tyler who had to speak at graduation. He looked over to Bella and finally asked, "Have you found out where you place in your class yet?" Bella nodded her head, "I'm in the top 10 but all of the Cullen's had better grades. So with them gone I'm not sure anymore." Tyler nodded in understanding just as they pulled into town by Pike Place Market in Seattle.

The two decided to start the trip off with a walk along the water front enjoying a rare sunny day in the area. After a while Bella spotted a bench and motioned for Tyler to join while she needed to rest and catch her breath. They sat there for a moment just enjoying the scenery and each others presence. Finally, Tyler knew that he had to ask Bella about the things that had been on his mind. It would drive him to distraction all day if he did not. "Are you still okay with moving so far away from here in such a short time? I can understand if your not. I mean, after all it is not the easiest thing to ask of someone and Harvard is really difficult to get into. That is not even considering that you'd have to leave having only been here for a little over year to spend time with Charlie. If you're not okay with moving so far away we can discuss other options."

Tyler was looking at the cement of the sidewalk as he said this not even wanting to see the look on Bella's face as he said these things. He had to wonder if she would not be relieved that he was offering her a way out. He would be willing to wait through another four years if that was necessary so that she could attend a school closer to home. He would wait if that was what it took for her to be with him as long as it was not him she was rejecting.

The awkward silence stretched on for a time before she finally did managed to respond. "I really don't mind and after a lot of what has happened it would probably do me some good to get away and start over. As far as getting in to Harvard, I've appled to a number of Ivy League schools and other colleges in the area. We can go from there." Tyler looked up at her pleased to see that not only was she still okay with the plan that they had developed as children but had taken on a level headed approach to it.

Bella now having sat for a few minutes decided to lead Tyler on a tour through the market area on Pike Place. There was a larger variety of shops here selling everything from grocery items and seafood to jewelry, clothing and art work. They looked around through the various shops and enjoyed joking around and looking at various things for sale.

When they came to a store selling jewelry made of precious stones and traditional designs something caught Tyler's eye. In the case in front of him was a beautiful gold promise ring in the traditional Celtic design with the heart made of sapphire. Noticing that Bella was looking at something at another counter Tyler swiftly asked to purchase the ring and whatever Bella was looking at. He made payment for the items and found that Bella had been looking at a pair of gold hoop earrings. Tyler smiled at this seeing that she had not changed much at all in the last year. She still is the same beautiful, sweet, intelligent girl with simple taste.

From the way she was dressed he knew that she had finally had a female role model who taught her about fashion and dressing well. As much as he didn't like it this skill would be necessary for her to survive in his world. Even as he suspected the connection to the Cullen's he couldn't help but feel grateful to them for that. Perhaps everything was working together the way that it was supposed to and that thought made him smile.

As they left the market Bella lead him to the Space Needle at the center of the city and they took the elevator up to the observation deck. The view of the city from there was magnificent. Tyler thought that the only thing that might have made it more impressive was to be there at night when the stars were out.

It was here that Tyler decided to give her the items that he had purchased at the market. First he knelt and handed her the box with the promise ring with the top up. Bella's eyes popped open so wide that Tyler thought they would fall out. Bella was amazed at the beauty and intricacy of the ring and loved it on sight. She knew the significance of this to Tyler. Not only would this seal their relationship, showing the world that she belonged to him, but he was connecting her to his heritage. The Simms were Celts by decent and it was a part of himself that Tyler had taken some pride in. Rejecting this gift to him would be akin to rejecting him. She smiled and let him place it on her ring finger indicating that she was taken.

Bella was further amazed when he then handed her another box this one with the earrings that she had wanted to buy but decided were too expensive. She smiled knowingly, "its a little much don't you think?" Tyler laughed at her typical response he had expected this but was prepared with a response. "It's not that much from where I stand and I don't get to be with you every day yet. Please, just let me spoil you this once." It was as he got up and looked towards the sky again that Tyler noticed how late it was getting. Having taken Bella's hand in his, Tyler led her back to the elevator so that they could make their reservation for dinner.

[A/n: I am sorry that it took me a while to get this posted. I enjoyed getting to write this section though. As always please review any an all thoughts are appreciated. Did you love it or hate it? What should I maybe do differently here?]


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: Sadly, I own nothing.

The couple made their way back to Tyler's rental car and made their way to the restaurant for dinner. Bella was still trying to get him to tell her where they were going for dinner but he was doing a good job of not giving in on this. This was one time where he wanted to surprise her and hopefully she would enjoy herself. With their day out things had so far been going really well. He had even found a couple of items to give his beloved that she seemed to genuinely like. He knew that he didn't have to spend money to court her but for her he wanted too. This was one of the few times that he was getting a chance to do something like this. That being the case Tyler wanted to make sure that she enjoyed herself and hopefully she would be impressed.

As they approached the entrance to the Metropolitan Grill he still had not gotten the item that he asked for from Reid. Then again his friend was notorious for bad timing and being flaky. He loved Reid like a brother but it had always fallen to the youngest to try and keep an immediate eye on him. Reid would have gone over some pretty tough lines if Tyler hadn't pulled him back at times trying to make things more reasonable.

Tyler gave his name at the front and they were immediately escorted back to a corner table for to two that was lighted by candles in the center. The waiter asked for their drink order and if they wanted any appetizers? Taking his cue from the look on Bella's face as she looked at the menu Tyler decided that they had better pass on the appetizers. They each ordered Coke to drink and then continued to look at the menus for entrees. When Bella tried to order a side salad as her dinner Tyler lifted an eye brow questioning her choice. He found himself looking down yet again feeling bad as he said, "You know that you can order a regular meal right? You don't have to do that. If that is what you would really want to order then that is alright. I just don't want you thinking of money as an object here. I've been waiting for this day for a while."

Bella felt bad she knew that she was making this to an extent hard on him. All he wanted to was to be able to take her out for a nice day one of few that they would get to have before she moved over to New England. Blushing Bella finally said, "I know, I just feel bad that I have no way of giving you anything right now."

This brought a smile to Tyler's face as he thought about what she had just said. Did she really think that she had not given him anything today? "Bella, you're mistaken if you think you have given me nothing today. You are wearing the ring that I gave to you proclaiming to the world that you are my intended. Even beyond that you've given me a lot more than you think over the years. I don't normally really talk to girls let alone look at them. Yet something about you drew me to you that day at the swimming tournament. You didn't freak out when I told you my darkest secret and you've kept it. That means the world to me."

Bella smiled as she realized that material comforts he had enjoyed for most of his life. Actual love and admiration had been a different thing though and that was something that she could give him. In that moment Bella determined that she would be better about considering his feelings on this.

At that point they had managed to order and Bella had decided that she would get a small chicken dish instead while Tyler ordered steak. They sat relaxing in what was left of thier time together. It had nearly been the perfect day in both of thier eyes. Things were becoming more soldified as to where they were heading and it put both of them at some ease.

While they were waiting for the food to come Tyler felt something fall into his jacket pocket and when he checked it he found that Reid had managed his task well. When Bella left to the bathroom for a moment he placed the necklace at her place at the table. When she returned she was amazed at the beautiful simple Celtic cross necklace designed in knots of silver and gold. Bella could not help asking, "Where did this come from?" This elicited a smile again from Tyler who had been nervous about her reaction.

Seeing the need for explanation Tyler said,"It's been in my family since the old world. Once a girl accepts a proposal in our family we present them with this necklace. It was made to be a protective charm. I felt that it was warranted after your friend Alice's warning visit last night. The result I had Reid send it to me today."

Bella nodded in understanding. He wanted her to do everything possible to be safe while they were apart. If accepting this would help ease his mind then she would be sure to wear it and accept it with grace.

They ordered cheese cake and split it for dessert and then it was time for Tyler to take Bella home. He knew that Charlie would be worried if they stayed out too late. It was a school night too. So Tyler paid the bill and they made their way back to Forks in companionable silence.

Once they had made it back to Charlie's house Tyler walked her to the door and gave her a sweet kiss on her lips and said that he'd be in touch with her again once he got back home. As Tyler pulled on to the interstate to go to the hotel for a couple of hours of sleep before leaving for his flight home his phone rang again. Tyler knew who it would be and he was not in the mood to be lectured right now it would only ruin a great day. So he let the phone go to voicemail. He would deal with Caleb soon enough once he made it back to Ipswitch.

Bella walked into her bedroom and got ready for the evening as she usually did. All the while she could not help thinking about how wonderfully today had gone. She was pleased beyond belief that not only had they worked things out but he had made his affection for her very clear. She knew that the next day would mean answering a lot of questions and some unwanted attention but for tonight she could enjoy this knowledge and relax.

The next day started as Bella had anticipated. Jessica and Angela were waiting for her in front of the school with lots of questions. As she approached they squealed at the same time, "How was it?" Of course they would expect all of the details. Bella couldn't help be stifle a laugh at the thought. The girls in front of her had no idea just how few details they would ever get.

Bella smiled, "It went very well actually. Everything is fine between us and we actually went on a date the following day." That was when Jessica noticed the ring on her finger. "What's with the ring?" Bella shook her head at the girl sometimes she drove her nuts. Bella felt sorry for those who never tried to read or understand things around them. Bella had known what it was when Tyler had presented it to her the other day and so would any other person who paid attention to such things.

"It's called a promise ring. We came across it at Pike Place Market and he bought it for me. The idea is that it tells people that I am taken. That in the future I will be receiving his family ring" Jessica's jaw dropped at that. Bella had to bite her tongue to keep from laughing at the other girl. She knew that Jessica had finally figured it out. Such practices were still only done by the older, more established families and at that it was more common on the east coast.

Angela was smiling at her obviously very pleased to see that things had worked out for Bella. When she had learned that the Cullen's had left Angela had supported Bella knowing that this would a difficult time for had been one of only two people whom she had told here about being involved with Tyler. The other person who knew was Jake who thought it was cool and wanted to try and draft a business plan for his own garage and ask Tyler to invest in it. Bella had chuckled at the idea then. After all she had not told anyone about the abilities the sons had. For that reason as well as several others Tyler didn't have much need for a mechanic. She however had said that if he ever finished it she would pass it on to Tyler and his friends.

Jessica had only known she was meeting up with a guy from her past since they had their girl's day and was finally putting it together that he was old money and good looking. The money did not matter so much to Bella but she knew the name and traditions would give Tyler away. For being out here or being otherwise even on the east coast his manners were too good. As Bella went through the days classes she got various reactions to her new necklace and ring. She knew that it was to be expected but some of the girls were nasty and mean about it. Soon enough rumors were flying about as to how this had happened and that was not something Bella liked. Neither of them had considered that such things would start going around.

Tyler stepped off of the plane at Salem and was greeted by his brothers Reid smiling and happy while Caleb glowered at the youngest. Pogue's face was neutral and Tyler could not make out where he stood on this. He should have known that not answering Caleb's call last night would be a mistake. This however was going to be the first time that Tyler openly went against Caleb on anything and he knew that this conversation would have to happen.

Sure enough no sooner had the youngest thought that then it started. Caleb's baritone voice held a sharp note in it, "Idiot, what were you thinking having Reid use like that. Furthermore, why would you even ask him to get that object for you? It's not like you're seeing anyone?" Tyler's eyes turned black and his body tensed at this. Caleb realized immediately that he was missing something.

This got a rather loud guffaw from Reid. "Dude he has been seeing this girl since we were like 9 years old. She was from one of the swim clubs out west. They met and hit it off. So, technically Baby Boy was the first one of us to get a girl. Did she like the necklace anyways, Ty?"

That relieved some of the tension from Tyler's body and his eyes went back to their normal blue. "Thank you Reid, for getting that for me once I knew everything was alright with us I wanted her to have it. Things like that are more important now than ever."

Caleb sighed, "Just tell me that you haven't told her?" Caleb decided that he was being unfair here. It wasn't right to keep Tyler from having a life after all the rest of them had girlfriends, except for Reid.

Tyler gulped, "She's known since I received my power." That brought out what is possibly the worst in Caleb Danvers. The oldest had to force the black out of his eyes and he literally ordered the rest of them to head to the colony house.

Tyler and Reid piled into the hummer while Pogue rode with Caleb in his Mustang. All the way back Tyler had to put up with Reid making jokes about what must have followed their date. Tyler just shook his head and did his best to focus on the road. Finally, as they pulled into park by the colony house he told Reid, "nothing had happened. He wanted to make sure that this was done right. Furthermore, that meant waiting until he could marry her and they could set things up appropriately."

[A/n: I am sorry that it took me a while to get this posted. I enjoyed getting to write this section though. As always please review any an all thoughts are appreciated. Did you love it or hate it? What should I maybe do differently here?]


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: Sadly, I own nothing.

"Still Baby Boy, you went all of that way and saw her and you're telling me that there was nothing that happened?" It was obvious that his best friend was not going to believe that he gone through all of that work without getting some kind of pay out. It was one of the things that probably annoyed him the most about Reid. The guy was a womanizer; who had been raised by a womanizer and never known different and so could not respect women.

Finally rolling his eyes Tyler said, "I'm not you Reid. I am not going to cheapen something like that. I want anything like that to be special. I let myself kiss her when I dropped her off before getting ready to come back and that was it." Reid smirked at this remark knowing full well that it explained the smile that he had caught sight of as the youngest got off of the plane. It also explained the determination that he had in him to stand up to Caleb. Especially since he knew that afterwards Tyler would have to deal with his father. Of the father's, Glen Simms was probably the strictest about use. The eldest of the elder line he could be stricter and harder to deal with than Caleb was.

As the boys entered the Colony house they found things the same as they always were. Portraits of ancestors hanging on the walls the same old stairwells that lead down to the basement where they held their meetings. The candles and lighting along their way upon the son's entrance. As Tyler, Reid and Pogue took their seats Caleb moved to the center and a fire roared to life.

As Caleb took his seat he found that he was not pleased to know that Tyler had revealed the secret that they guarded with their lives. It came out in a roaring blaze just like the heat of the fire that kept them warm when they were here. "Tyler, you know that we don't tell our secret to anyone. Those are the rules, only a woman who marries into the Covenant is allowed to know of its existence. I'm not sure that you have taken seriously to consequences of what could happen to you, to all of us."

Tyler locked his eyes on the oldest son and forced himself to maintain contact knowing that it was the eldest that he needed to get through too in this instance. "Bella has known our secret for years and never told anyone. I told her when I received them because I was scared out of my wits about what was about to happen to me. I also knew that I need her to understand what the future entailed. We had plans to be together through college and marry eventually. Her future includes being the mother of my heir. She needs to know what that means. She wears a ring on her finger even now. She's as good as a part of things. Besides Caleb, isn't the pot calling the kettle black. You told Sarah and still aren't engaged or even pledged. She could walk away at any moment."

Caleb's jaw clenched and his body went ridged at the mention of his telling Sarah. He knew that Baby Boy had a valid point and he hated it. If Tyler's girl was as good as he said then they had nothing to fear and he had broken the rule too. There was no getting around that.

As the boys waited for the eldest to come to a conclusion as to what was going to happen there was complete and utter silence. Finally, Caleb nodded acknowledging that Tyler was correct and his point was more than fair and valid. There was only one thing left that he could do. So, with finality to his words Caleb asked, "So, when do we get to meet her?"

Tyler smiled, "we arranged it so that she will be joining me for ball but if that is not soon enough I can always call and ask if she'd come out say for Christmas. The other sons were stunned. None of them had ever hoped that they would get to meet her that soon. Caleb nodded, "I would like it if you would do that. The sooner we meet her honestly the better."

As the boys slowly began to rise from their seats Tyler caught a very subtly thumbs up given to him by Pogue. It warmed him to know that at least two of his brothers were fully on board with where he was going with his relationship. He had known the instant that he met her that this would be no casual fling. If he wanted her in his life then it was necessary to be open and develop a strong relationship with the girl had every intention of making the mother of his heir and his wife.

That evening Tyler went home for dinner for the first time in several months. When he arrived his mother was surprised to say the least. As he went into his father's office he knew that he would probably receive the riot act initially just like with Caleb but he was determined to face it head on. As he entered he could see his father was seated behind his desk reading the day's paper. Tyler knew that it was now or never so he took a deep breath before speaking, "Dad, can I talk to you?"

Glen Simms looked up from his paper and nodded toward the chair on the other side of his desk. The relationship between them had always been better than between most within the Covenant but it was still strained. So, it was somewhat reluctantly that Tyler began explaining about having told Bella about him and about the last weekend. At the beginning Glen Simms had seemed as though he might in fact go unhinged and use on his own son. However, at the mention of Bella's faithfulness with regards to the Covenant and her long standing agreement with Tyler the black began to fade from his eyes. Once finished Tyler found that he was indeed looking into blue eyes that mirrored his own perfectly and knew that for now at least he was safe.

Lastly and finally Tyler asked, "Would it be alright if I was to invite Bella and her parents here for Christmas?" At his father's nod of approval he left knowing that the conversation would be over. He spent dinner upstairs with his mother and then took some down to his father before leaving to go back to the dorms.

That same night Bella was more than a little sad she found that she missed having the opportunity to see Tyler and talk to him face to face. She pulled out her cell phone thinking that she would call and put in on to speaker so that they could talk while she prepared dinner for her and Charlie that evening. Finding that she went to his voicemail Bella decided to leave a message to let him know that she had called. Putting the lasagna into bake in the oven Bella went to put a load of laundry into the wash and set the table. She was so busy trying to get everything ready for when Charlie got in that she did not even notice that she had received a text message.

Bella had a pleasant and routine evening of homework dinner with Charlie followed by doing the dishes. She made her way upstairs to get ready to go to bed and noticed that she had a new text message. She looked at the ID attached to it and saw that it was Tyler. That brought a rather pleasant smile to Bella's face. It read: I talked with Caleb as well as my Dad and you are officially invited along with Charlie, Renee and Phil to spend Christmas here. That sent Bella into panic mode after all it was sooner than she had thought she would be seeing everyone and she wanted to do well and impress them. So, first things first she needed to talk with Charlie and email Renee and Phil and see if that was possible.

[A/n: I am sorry that it took me a while to get this posted. I enjoyed getting to write this section though. As always please review any an all thoughts are appreciated. Did you love it or hate it? What should I maybe do differently here?]


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: Sadly, I own nothing.

Christmas break came a lot quicker than Bella would have ever thought and she was on pins and needles about meeting everyone else. She had met Tyler's parents and Reid briefly although she doubted that he remembered. It had all been years since the one time after the tournament when she and Renee had managed to scrape enough to fly out to Ipswitch. Bella could not help feeling somewhat inadequate. She knew that it would not be the easiest of meetings that is for sure and certain. She couldn't help fearing that they would find her lacking and that they would try and bar her from Tyler's life.

She knew that Tyler simply was looking forward to having her there and in his home but she also knew the reason for this trip. She held no delusions about how things worked over there. If Caleb didn't like her she knew that there would be trouble. However, Bella also knew however that Tyler would not let her go with out a fight. For that reason alone she was willing to make this rather awkward trip to meet the rest Tyler's rather unusual family. Bella couldn't help thinking all these things as she packed for the trip to the rather

Cold, snowy and beautiful winter wonderland that was Tyler's home town and she was certain that she would humiliate herself horribly in dealing with all of the ice and slush.

Just as she was thinking about the trip she felt her phone vibrate in her jean pocket. She smiled as she noticed the name on the screen. "Hey Ty, please tell me that you're not calling to let me know that there has been a change of plans?" Bella let out a sigh as she heard a chuckle from the other side of the line. She knew that he didn't deserve to have the phone answered that way but the plan for her arrival had already changed on more than one occasion. The plan may require her repack if it changed too significantly. Bella did not want to have to repack since she had already finished packing. Bella had made it her goal to relax some before leaving for the airport in the morning.

Bella had packed jeans and button down tops with sweaters and several skirts to take with her along with supplies for bathing. She was not about to find herself unprepared for any kind of function that she may have to attend while there. The only thing that she did not have was a formal dress and she was not about to go and try and find one at this late point in the planning process. She had even carefully set aside money from each paycheck at Newton's to buy Christmas presents for everyone. For each person who would be present she carefully and thoughtfully found something. She had even asked Tyler what he thought of her selections to make sure that she got something appropriate.

Tyler chuckled at the note of irritation in his intended voice. He knew that she did not like ever changing plans and this had turned into one. Finally, Tyler decided that it was best to calm her down. "Bella, thankfully no I am not calling because there has been a change in any part of the plans. I just wanted to let you know that I love you very much. I know how nervous you are about this but I know it will be fine. I love you and so they will love you. You are quite possibly the most amazing woman on earth. I cannot wait to pick you up and bring you here."

This brought a smile to the petite girls face as she realized once more just how important this was to her beloved. She knew that this would not turn out to be just another trip. It was possibly the most important one that she would make. She smiled at the thought of seeing the magnificent home again. The last time she had visited Tyler's home it was the summer after they turned 13. She loved the old fashioned home and extensive grounds. They had spent most of their days in the garden area and out by the woods. She had been more than a little pleased that she got to keep him to herself for most of that time. This time she would be spending her time with the other people in his life.

After Bella hung up from her phone call with Tyler she proceeded to go and check a see how far Charlie had gotten on his packing. She grinned when she found that he had actually finished his packing as well. Bella took her time and made her way down with her bag and Charlie's so that they were ready by the door. She went into the kitchen and made some coffee since they would need to get going in order to make their flight out.

Charlie assisted her in putting their bags in the car and soon they were on their way down the interstate towards Seattle.

When they arrived at Sea-Tac International they had to wait and check in their baggage. Once that was done they had to go through security which was worse than she would have expected due to the holidays. Finally, they approached the waiting area at their gate and wait for the announcement to board their flight.

Meanwhile in Ipswitch Tyler found himself pacing back and forth waiting to pick up Bella and her parents. It was not going to be the easiest of holidays but he knew that in order for things to work this had to happen. It had been 6 hours since Bella had sent him a message saying that they were getting on the plane from Seattle and that meant that they would be here any minute. Just as Tyler had thought that he saw a plane land and come in to dock at the terminal where he waited.

His heart began to race as he watched for Bella and Charlie to get off of the plane. He kept watch over those coming through the gate and into the seating area disappointed each time that it was not Bella. It was then he caught sight of soft, chestnut colored locks making their way towards him. He had finally spotted her as she was a couple of rows of chairs away from him.

Bella wore a large, impish grin on her face as she showed up in front of him. Tyler shook at his girl who seemed intent on making the most of their time together. It would seem that she had been intent on surprising him as she came up. Tyler shook his head knowing that this meant that she had been trying to keep him from seeing her coming until she was right in front of him. Suddenly Bella's arms were around his shoulders as she placed a soft kiss on his lips causing Tyler to turn red from the roots of his hair down through his neck.

Tyler was spared the necessity of responding as Renee came over from another gate finding the teens. "Parents in the area", she stated the obvious meaning that they did not need or want to witness any displays of affection. The two teens nodded as they went to the baggage claim where they were to meet up with Charlie and Phil.

Once they found Charlie and Phil in the baggage claim and got their suitcases they made their way to Tyler's Hummer and proceeded to the Simms's home. The ride there was quiet but reasonably comfortable to all involved. The quiet was only broken by the radio playing classic rock music. As they pulled onto the private street where the manor was located Tyler punched in the entrance code and the gate opened letting them pull into the drive way.

As soon as the car doors closed the looked up to see Glen and Rose Simms come out onto the porch. As they approached Bella could feel their eyes on her taking in the appearance of the girl who apparently was to become their daughter-in-law. Their faces were neutral until Bella arrived right in front of them and she found herself swept in a hug first by one and then the other. Greetings were exchanged and they were escorted into the sitting area on the main level of the house.

Everyone situated themselves comfortably with the adult sitting in various overstuffed chairs in gold and blue while the teens at on a soft love seat. Coffee was brought out by the Simms's cook and they began the round of small talk that was to be expected. The Dwyer's and Swan's remarked that their flights had been relatively smooth and uneventful. Rose Simms seemed to be going out of her way to almost make this as easy and smooth of a meeting as possible which both surprised and pleased Bella.

Next, they discussed where each would be sleeping and were shown to their rooms. It was as they got up to go to see their rooms that Bella noticed that their bags were already gone. She looked over at Tyler who just nodded indicating that their suitcases had already been taken care of and were in their rooms. Bella was the last to be shown to her room which was on the second floor and the third door on the right.

Bella was astounded as she walked in the room was decorated just as she would have had it. It was done in black and white with soft, blue accents and next to the queen sized bed was a table with the book she was reading and an alarm clock with a black lamp with a shade over it in black and white swirls. Her cell phone also sat on there charging. She then noticed that attached to the room was a bathroom that was completely private. Her jaw dropped to the floor practically at seeing this. It was like a dream as this was a luxury that she had never had before.

It was then that she turned and faced a very nervous looking Tyler. Finally looking up at her he asked, "Do you like it?" At Bella's smile all of his nerves fled, swiftly away. He knew that she liked it and was pleased that she was not going to fight him on at least this one occasion. "I want you to feel comfortable and at home here. After all this is as much your home as it is mine now. Someday this will be our home and I hope that you can be okay with that." This got a very shy smile from Bella who thought that just maybe this trip would go better than she had hoped.

Suddenly, Bella was pulled out of her thoughts by the sound of Tyler's cell phone going off. She rolled her eyes knowing that she would have share and play nice. His friends were likely to call and start asking to get to meet her. Little did she know that she would not get the luxury of meeting them one on one but she would be meeting every one at once? "Hey, let me check with her and I'll call you back. Do you need a ride?" There was a pause Tyler waited for whoever was on the other side of the line to say something. Finally she heard Tyler say, "Okay, I'll call you back later."

Tyler hung up the phone before Bella could piece together what the conversation had been about. This caused her to ask, "What was that about?" She knew that whatever it was it meant that Tyler would be taking off most likely. That was not something that she had planned on since she had only just gotten in.

"How do you feel about going out for a while?" Bella looked at Tyler questioningly, raising her eye brow wanting a little more clarity before responding. She would be fine if he meant that they would be going out for say something to eat. Bella detested plane food which she normally refused even when it was offered. Unfortunately, that meant that all she had on her stomach at the moment was coffee and Diet Coke.

"That was Reid. Everyone is getting ready to go to Nicky's and they'd like us to come." Bella chewed nervously on her lower lip as she considered what he had just said. It would seem that she would be getting the initial meet and greets out of the way a lot quicker than she had initially planned on. Nodding her head in the affirmative, Bella said "Just give me a few to freshen up so that I don't look like I just rolled out of bed."

Tyler left Bella to get herself ready and went to call Reid back and let the others know that they would be coming over as soon as Bella got ready. He then proceeded to let the adults know that they'd be taking off for a while and would be back at a somewhat reasonable hour.

Half an hour later, Bella walked down to the sitting room a found stunned looks on the faces on everyone in the room. Tyler's eyes looked as if they might actually fall out of their sockets and he wore the biggest grin Bella had ever seen on his face. Her parents and Phil looked stunned at seeing their daughter taking the time to doll herself up. It was not something Bella did every day but had started to do more and more lately. Rose and Glen Simms nodded approvingly as they realized that she looked very much like she belonged with their son.

She had taken her time to wash up and brush and straighten her hair. She had then but on a pair of dark washed Sevens, which fit her like a glove. There was no missing the curves of her legs, but and waste. For a top she wore a black and white argyle v-neck sweater which gave just a hint at cleavage but displayed nothing. On her feet she wore black ballet flats which would allow her to hopefully not fall and make a fool of herself. She had kept her make up light and natural accenting her eyes with mascara and adding just a hint of blush and strawberry flavored lip gloss.

Five minutes later Tyler and Bella pulled up in front of another large manor house and a blond boy came rushing out with a sour look on his face. Jumping into the back seat he began to grumble, "It's about time you made it here Baby Boy. I was about call and ask Caleb if I could catch a ride with him." The boy looked like he might continue but he caught sight of Bella hung his head slightly which Bella only caught sight of in the rearview mirror.

Tyler chuckled, "Reid this is Bella, my betrothed. Bella, this is my best friend, Reid Garwin." Bella nodded in understanding as she looked to see that the blond was observing her quite carefully from the back seat. Tonight she would probably receive this same look a dozen or more times and she mentally prepared herself for that reality as they began to drive out of the long driveway onto the main road.

The blond seemed to take a long time in appraising her before saying, "It's good to finally meet you and dang Baby Boy it's no wonder you've kept her all to yourself." Bella couldn't help smiling softly as the blond finally took his eyes off of her. It was apparent that she at least met with Reid's approval and she was glad for that.

Relaxing a little into her seat, Bella smirked into the rearview mirror saying "Charmed I'm sure." With that they continued on until they pulled into what appeared a rather old and somewhat smoky bar. This surprised Bell somewhat slightly but she shrugged it off as she followed Tyler and Reid into the infamous Nicky's.


	11. Chapter 11

[A/n: I'm so sorry that it has been a while since I have updated. Life has just gotten busy and I have not had the chance to update until today. Please Read and Review and let me know what you think.]

Nicky's looked just like any given bar in any small town in America. For that reason alone Bella would have been fine with going in there. She felt even safer knowing that Tyler and Reid had walked in just ahead of her. Reid even made a production of holding the door open for her to enter just behind Tyler. It was so incredibly normal that it set Bella's mind at ease in spite of her impending meeting with the eldest two sons of Ipswitch.

As they walked in Bella took the time to take in her surroundings and smiled at the sight of a pool table set to one corner area. Behind her was a juke box set up with a make shift dance floor where couples were already gathering. The sounds of you're So Vain filling the room for all who cared to listen. Bella smiled at the simplicity of the set up and made her way with Tyler and Reid to the other side of the room. She noticed that they approached a single table where four other people were already seated apparently saving seats for them.

The smell of smoke was present but that didn't bother Bella in the slightest since Renee had smoked for years before she finally beat the habit. Once they arrived Tyler pulled a chair out for Bella before taking the next seat over on her left. The other seat was quickly taken by Reid effectively closing off the table from anyone else who might want to join them.

At the table were two boys one with dark brown almost black hair and eyes to match. The other kept his sandy colored locks longer so that it fell just passed his jaw and had hazel colored eyes. Both boys were powerfully built and looked athletic. One wore a black button up shirt while the other had on a white tee-shirt and a black leather jacket while jeans seemed to be the order of the day.

The dark haired boy was the first to speak, "I'm Caleb Danvers and I assume that you're Bella. This is my girlfriend, Sarah." Caleb indicated a petite, blond haired blue eyed girl who looked like every girl that she had hated going to school in Phoenix. Bella noticed that the girl was wearing a soft, baby blue blouse and black mini skirt and smiled at her when she was introduced. Bella sighed in relief the girl had not taken an instant dislike to her as she feared.

Then her attention was drawn to the mocha skinned girl next to the other son that she was meeting for the first time. The boy smiled and placed a possessive arm around the girl and chuckled, "I'm Pogue Perry and this is my girl, Kate. Welcome to Ipswitch." The dark hair girl got up and wrapped her in a brief hug whispering, "Thank you for being there for Tyler. He's great and deserves someone special. I'm glad that he found you." Bella could not help but smile and return Kate's hug and knew that she at least one new friend in Ipswitch.

Bella was glad that the introductions were out of the way. It would only be able to get easier from here right? Feeling somewhat relieved she turned to Tyler, "Where can I order something to eat?" The blue eyed boy smiled glad that Bella was not as nervous around his friends as to lose her appetite.

Tyler could well remember when Kate started to become a part of their circle; the dark skinned girl had lost a good, 10 pounds. All of that had been from nerves. Kate, had found it impossible to eat without throwing up immediately afterwards from worrying about each of their opinions and the resulting gossip.

Chuckling at the memory he said, "Just go to the bar and place an order with Nicky. He'll take care of you. I recommend that you stick to a burger and fries though. Some of the other stuff gets interesting." Tyler had tried some of the other things on the menu and found that it did not sit well on his stomach. Since his sophomore year at Spencer he had stuck to fries and coke for the most part when he came to Nicky's.

Bella nodded and asked, "Do you want anything while I'm up there?" His eyes had the look of mischief in them as Tyler said, "No, I'll just mooch off of whatever you get for now." Kissing Tyler on the cheek Bella got up to go to the bar and get her food.

Tyler watched as Bella got up to go to the bar and place her order and could not help admiring the view from his seat. He would never get over the fact that she was his girl. It was one of those things that did not cease to amaze him. He had been so certain when he told her about their secret that she would want nothing to do with him. Yet, here she is still with him five years later.

All too soon Tyler found himself being elbowed in the ribs by his best friend. Reid quickly gestured to the pool table where Aaron and his friends where congregating. As usual Reid was in need of spending money and the quickest and surest way Reid knew to make money was to hustle the usual idiots at pool. Next to Reid, Tyler was the best pool player at Spencer so he was normally dragged along for the ride. Sighing in resignation Tyler joined his friend in walking over to the pool tables.

Bella was quietly waiting for her food and minding her own business when suddenly she was surrounded by a group of girls that she did not know. The one who finally spoke had had red, curly hair that seemed like it had permanent frizz ball issues or something. "So, you came here with Tyler Simms. That is interesting; I always thought that he was gay after all no one has ever seen him with a woman." This only brought on laughter from the other girls. Who seemed to think this was hilarious.

The overly bold statement made Bella blush and want to leave immediately. However, knowing that was not an option she decided to face the girl. Looking at her directly in the eyes Bella did her best to stand her ground and keep her voice calm. "No, he's definitely not gay. He's just been taken and not stupid enough to cheat. My name is Bella by the way and you are?"

The redhead smiled in a very vicious manner that reminded Bella of Victoria when they had crossed paths in Forks. "I'm Kyra and these are my friends: Amanda, Jessica, Jasmine and Vanessa. Understand this and quick you stay out of our way, you aren't good enough and never will be good enough no matter what the label on your clothes is. It takes more than nice clothes and a manicure to remove the tracing of a low rent life. Face it boys like that don't end up with girls like you."

The smell of vodka soda hit Bella like a semi truck heading straight at her on the wrong side of the road. It was not something that to be taken lightly that the other girl was obviously drunk it meant that she would need to be more cautious of how she handled herself here. After all from experience she knew that could make people meaner and more vicious and therefore more dangerous. Bella was also aware that people were far more honest when their lips had been loosened with Alcohol. This meant that this was what the girl honestly thought and what others likely did too.

Kyra had unwittingly hit on Bella's greatest fear that the society in Ipswitch would find her lacking and take Tyler away from her. Where as Mrs. Simms and Kate seemed to accept her readily enough she could not be sure of the opinions of the others. It was times like this when she wished that she had the ability to read peoples minds. That however was not a possibility.

Reid seemed to like and approve of her but she also knew that son was something of a flirt. Reid would have said something along the line of what he did even if he thought she wasn't good enough for his best friend. However, that son had seemed to trust Tyler and his judgment. For that reason she would have to trust that the Garwin heir would be on her side if something was to happen and people treated her poorly.

Frustrated with her own tendency for getting too comfortable too soon she grabbed her order which was ready and walk away to rejoin the others. She needed to remove herself from the situation and preferably as quickly as possible.

No sooner had Bella taken three steps away than an arm shot out and pulled her back with a sharp jerking motion causing her to dump her food on the floor. "We aren't done yet the girl's voice was soft and menacing to her ears. The last time that she had heard a voice like that was when James had been taunting her in the dance studio. This caused a fight or flight reflex in Bella to shift into high gear. Not having much time to think she threw her elbow back into the girl's stomach and ran away looking for Tyler.

Finding him by the pool table she felt safe as she took up a spot next to him and watched Reid take his shot. That son made a combo shot something that Bella and everyone else knew was hard. The next thing that she knew the accusation came flying from the boy who was obviously losing, "You cheated, Garwin I know that you cheated." That led to the entire group moving to a back alley where it looked like the curly haired boy would try and fight Reid.

That came to an end though when Caleb and Pogue came out followed quickly by the bar tender Nicky. Looking at the older man Bella understood that he meant business as he had brought out a bat. Nicky's eyes were narrowed as he said, "Take it somewhere else, ladies. Abbott collects your girlfriend and goes home. She's already had too many."

As the curly haired boy turned to go back into the bar and collect his things his eyes fell on Bella. He smirked as he realized that his evening maybe able to be salvaged after all. Aaron walked over to where Bella stood with her back to the wall of the building.


	12. Chapter 12

[A/n: I'm so sorry that it has been a while since I have updated. Life has just gotten busy and I have not had the chance to update until today. Please Read and Review and let me know what you think.]

Bella was not entirely sure of how to handle this situation. It was clear to her that whatever was about to happen was not going to be a pleasant experience for her. It was matter of pride for the boy who obviously had issues where the sons were concerned. She could see it in the way he looked at her. It was clear that she was a piece of meet a means to an end and nothing more.

The gaze that was on her was one which showed no sign of kindness. It showed no empathy and no regards for the consequences of his actions. It was clear that this was not going to be a situation where she would come out well or be able to salvage her dignity by any stretch of the imagination.

It was a cold, disembodied almost laugh that escaped the lips of Aaron as he approached her. "So Garwin, you think that you're better than me. You think that it is alright to cheat me and mine out of money. Wait until you see what it feels like to be cheated out of what you think is rightfully yours."

The curly haired boy moved forward even more and was beginning to lick his lips like a predator watching his next meal. It was common knowledge that Aaron was a jerk. He treated girls like dirt routinely. In fact he was worse where girls were concerned than Reid ever was.

Aaron stopped short of Bella and reached out to run a hand down her curves from her shoulder down. Finally, his hand lighted on Bella's hip where her sevens shows the very out line of her waist and hips. Her jeans showed every muscle which was tensed beyond belief making it clear to any thinking person that she was not enjoying what was happening to her.

Reid and Tyler both moved to try and remove Aaron's hand from Bella but that boy simply moved them away from their grip. It was not going to be an easy battle that they could tell. Aaron was drunk and very determined a bad combination at any rate.

The tension in the air almost screamed for him to stop but Aaron did not. Bella started to scream and he still did not stop. He didn't even notice that there was trouble about to come his way.

He never even noticed that a very angry Tyler whose eyes had gone completely black was coming up from behind him. The whole thing was too much for the youngest son to take. This was a woman that he cared about and deeply at that. This was not something that he would stand by and take casually. He needed to do something about the situation and fast.

Aaron was far to busy trying to enjoy what he saw as his revenge on the sons of Ipswitch. It was not so long ago that he felt that Caleb had taken Sarah from him. When Sarah had first arrived he had asked after her. Unfortunately for him both Caleb and Reid had taken an interest in her as well.

Tyler had no trust for the other boy nor did he trust that his own strength would be enough. For that reason he used and ripped Aaron's arm from his Bella. It was not something that he ever wanted to live through again if he could ever help it. He never wanted to see his precious Bella in that situation again.

Now, Tyler felt that he could understand how Pogue felt when Chase had taken Kate back at the beginning of the year. It was hard to face the idea of someone that you cared about being harmed on account of you. This was not the first time that Bella had been in a dangerous situation and Tyler knew that. He just was grateful that he had been there to stop things when he did.

At first Tyler had frozen scared that if he moved or reacted in any way that he would cause things to be worse for Bella. He knew that it was not going to be easy to keep the school creep from touching his beloved. It was also a shock to him that the other boy had not put two and two together and realized that Bella belonged with him.

Once Tyler had removed Abbott from Bella the other sons took hold of him and he called the local law enforcement in order to report an attempted rape. He knew that it would take a few minutes for the cops to show meaning that there was some time to kill. While they waited for the cops to show up Tyler decided to set the record straight. "Abbott, so that you know Bella isn't Reid's girl."

The curly haired boy looked up at Tyler as though he had grown an extra head all of a sudden. That look only served to make Tyler even angrier. "She is mine", Tyler said making it clear that he was the one with a claim to Bella and no one else. "She has been promised to me for years."

That small bit of information caused the other boy to begin to shake. Everyone knew that the son's families had quite a bit of influence. Anybody who knew the area would tell you that it was a bad idea to pick a fight with them. A few of them might admit to being annoyed with Garwin but practically everyone liked Tyler Simms. Aaron was one of few who did not. It was the whole issue that he took with the sons that left him blind as to where his anger was taking him.

Most of the people in the town would turn on him for attacking Simms's girlfriend. There was not a doubt in his mind that he would be going away for a long time unless he got a very good lawyer and even then his chances were dicey at best.

Once the cops came and took statements from each of the son's, Ryan and Brody; Aaron was taken away and his parents called. Tyler and Reid escorted Bella back to the Hummer where they proceeded to take her back to the Simms's manor. It was not going to be an easy evening for any of them.

Once they had returned to his home, Tyler ran a bath with jasmine and chamomile oil and let the tub fill. He laid out all of the frilly supplies that he knew that she might need. There on the ledge were bath wash, shampoo and conditioner; a towel and wash cloth. He also had brought up a cup of sleepy time tea so that she could drink some during her bath. That done he called to Bella letting her know that her bath was ready.

Tyler spent a good half an hour helping Bella wash in the bath that he ran. Thankfully, Bella's back was too him so as to make it easier to keep his head. He even had to chastise himself for taking enjoyment in getting to shampoo her hair. The soft strands which had slowly caressed his palm and he rubbed in the shampoo and conditioner. When finally Bella was done he looked the other way while she dried off so as to respect her.

Bella tossed and turned in her sleep reliving the time she had been attacked in Port Angeles and then the attack earlier this evening. It all seemed to indicate that she was destined for what would never have been a normal life by any stretch of the imagination. She did not mind though. She would not trade what she had with Tyler for all of the normalcy in the world.

Tyler didn't leave her side at all that night. He remained at her side stroking her hair and wishing that he could do something more for her.


End file.
